Article transfer and stacking device for power-driven conveyors



Aug. 10, 1965 K. G. MOGOWAN ARTICLE TRANSFER AND STACKING DEVICE FOR POWER-DRIVEN CONVEYORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 13. 1965 INVENTOR.

' KENNETH 6M 60WAN ATTORNEYS 1955 K. G. MCGOWAN 3,199,653

ARTICLE TRANSFER AND STACKING DEVICE FOR POWER-DRIVEN CONVEYORS Filed Sept. 13, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTOR NE Y6 United States Patent 3,199,653 ARTICLE TRANdFER AND STACYENG DEVKJE FUR PQWER-DRIVEN CGNVEYGRS Kenneth G. McGowan, Lawrence Township, Van Buren County, Mich, assigncr to Winirel Machine (10., fun, Kalamazoo, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Sept. 13, 1963, S91, No. see, 14 6 Claims. (Cl. 198-35 This invention relates to stacking machines and it relates particularly to apparatus for transferring a plurality of successively fed panels from a point adjacent a continuous conveyor to a position on said conveyor for subsequent assembly into a stack predetermined character.

In a machine of the general type illustrated in the United States Letters Patent 2,908,377, there is provided a number of feeding devices arranged alongside a constantly moving conveyor. Said feeding devices successively deposit selected panels onto conveyor and the timing of the operation of said feeding devices together with the movement of said conveyor is such that, in a manner fully explained in said patent, a stack of such panels arranged in a predetermined order is formed on said conveyor. Further, by appropriate repeat operation of said feeding devices, a plurality of successively formed stacks will appear on said conveyor and may be delivered to a suitable point of use and or further handling.

In a continuing attempt to improve apparatus of the form generally set forth in said patent, it has been noted in working with said machines that the transfer of panels from said feeding devices into a position on said conveyor often involves an undesirable amount of impact or shock being imposed on said panels. This particularly undesirable in any case since the panels dealt with by a machine of said patent are of relatively soft lead-base metals used in forming battery cell components and it pariculartly underesirable in connection with the battery plate units comprising grid-type openings filled with a battery paste, such as a lead-oxide paste. When said plates are handled at all roughly, said paste tends to fall out of position in said plates and a defective cell can be the result.

Therefore, in order to render the machine of said patent fully acceptable for its intended purposes, it has been necessary to carry out further development work thereon and this development work has particularly included the provision of transfer means by which battery plates can be conveyed from the feeding devices located adjacent a conveyor to a position on said conveyor without imposing appreciable shocl: or rnpact onto said transfrred battery plates.

Accordingly, the objects of the invention include:

(1) To provide transfer means for receiving a plurality of successively presented panels at a point adjacent a constantly moving conveyor, moving same from the point of said reception and depositing same onto said conveyor and with said panel-s bein subjected to a minimum of bumping or shock.

(2) To provide apparatus, as aforesaid, particularly applicable to transferring paste-filled battery plates which are successively and horizontally fed from a suitable feeder and deposting same with a minimum of bumping or shock onto a station located at a preselected point on a 3,199,653 Patented Aug. 10, 1965 ICC.

continuously moving horizontally oriented conveyor.

(3) To provide apparatus, as aforesaid, which will positively engage a panel discharged by a feeding unit, carry same to a preselected position on the conveyor and then effect a release thereof, all without imposing appreciable shock said panel (4) To provide a device, as aforesaid, providing reciprocable means moveable toward the feeder to engage a panel discharged therefrom and then movable away from said feeder to carry said panel, maintain continuous positive control thereover and finally deposit same in a desired position on said conveyor.

(5) To provide apparature, as aforesaid, which will at all times be positively and mechanically correlated in its operation with the operation of the remainder of the machine.

(6) To provide apparatus, as aforesaid, which will be capable of carrying out the purposes aforesaid and which will be of sufficiently simple construction as to be capable of addition to a machine at relatively little additional manufacturing and/ or maintenance cost.

(7) To provide apparatus, as aforesaid, which has a minimum of control parts and which has a minimum of moving parts in the panel-engaging mechanism.

(8) To provide apparatus, as aforesaid,fwherein all working parts will be completely visible in order that a malfunction, if any should occur, can be quickly identified and promptly corrected.

Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons acquainted with devices of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspection of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a machine generally similar to that shown in said Patent No. 2,903,377 but embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of that portion of the mechanism of the invention appearing in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a section taken on the line HIIII of FEGURE 2 but showing in addition the relationship of the apparatus of the invention with both the panel feeding eans and the conveyor.

FIGURE 4 is a section taken on the line IVIV of FIGURE 3.

In the following description certain reference terms will be used for convenience in description but it will be understood that these are for convenience only and no limiting significance is intended. For example, the terms upward and downward will refer to directions appearing in the drawings which are also directions with reference to the normal position of use of the apparatus. The terms inward and outward will refer to directions toward and away from the geometric center of the apparatus. The terms rightward and leftward will refer to directions as appearing in the particular figures with which such terminology is used. Said terminology will also include derivatives of the words above expressly mentioned together with words of similar import.

Detail d Descripzion Referring now to the drawings and first to FIGURE 1 for a brief description of the apparatus with which the successively by and betwen the pairs of rollers o invention is used, there is shown a constantly moving conveyor 1 having a plurality of spaced hooks 2, said conveyor being adapted for movement in a direction indicated by the arrow A. A plurality of feeding devices F F and F such as shown in Winkel Patent No. 2,930,508, are arranged alongside said conveyor and discharge panels, such as P (FIGURE 3), successively at stations 3, i and 5, respectively. More specifically, such panels are discharged in this particular embodiment and '7 for stat-ion 3, rollers 8 and 91 for station 4 and rollers 18 and 11 for station 5. A platform 12 is provided at station 3 for receiving the panels discharged from the rollers 6 and 7 and said platform has a slot 13 cut into same at a point substantially intermediate the rollers 6 and 7 for reception of the hereinafter described transfer device. A similar platform 14 is provided in connection with station 4 and a platform 16 is provided in connection with the station 5. An upstanding wall 17 is provided adjacent the side of the conveyor 1 away from said feeding devices and has a plurality of notches 18 in the upper edge thereof for passage of said transfer devices as hereinafter described.

Further such feeding devices, platforms and other means associated with said stations may be arranged along said conveyor as desired.

Turning to the portion of the apparatus constituting the present invention, there is provided a shaft 2i. supported adjacent the ends thereof in suitable bearings of which one appears at 23, said bearings'being mounted to the frame of the machine in any convenient manner. A plurality of guide arms 24, 25 and 27 are mounted on said shaft 21. In the present embodiment where all of the hereinafter-mentioned transfer members move simultaneously, said guide arms are mounted rigidly onto said shaft 21 for oscillating movement therewith but if prefered, said liftarms may be independently mounted on said shaft 21 for oscillatory movement with respect thereto.

A lift shaft 28 is placed below and parallel with said guide shaft 21 and is mounted rotatably adjacent the ends thereof in suitable bearings of which one is shown at 29 and which in turn are mounted in any convenient manner on the frame of the machine. A suitable crank arm 31 is mounted nonrotatably on and with respect to the lift shaft 23 and is operated by a reciprocable pitman 32, reciprocation of said pitman acting through said crank arm 33. to cause said lift shaft 28 to oscillate. A suitable power source, such as an electric motor, schematically indicated at 33, supplies power simultaneously to said conveyor (through a conventional drive wheel (not shown), to said pitman 32 and to the plate feeding means in any convenient manner such as by suitable mechanical, positively interlocked, power transfer trains indicated schematically by the broken lines 36, 37 and 38.

in the present specific embodiment the shaft 21 and lift shaft 28 are supported intermediate the ends thereof in suitable bearings 22 and 39, respectively (FIGURE 3), winch in turn are mounted, by means of a plate 35 and an angle 39, onto a portion 449 of the frame of the machine.

Opposite each of the feeding stations 3, 4 and (FIG- URE 1) is located a respective one of the transfer members 41, 42 and 43. Since each of these is identical with the others, the description of the transfer member 4-1 will sufiice as the description also of the remainingtransfer members. The transfer member 41 (FIGURES 2 and 3) consists of a somewhat C-shaped body member in which both the top and bottom horizontal bars of the C are relatively short. The upper bar 44 of the C-shaped transfer member 41 is pivoted at its upper and inner corner by suitable pivot means 46 to the adjacent end of the guide arm 24. The lower and inner corner of said upper bar 44 is pivoted by suitable guide means 4? to the adjacent end of a lift crank arm 453 which in turn is fixed nonrotatably on and with respect to the lift shaft 23. Similar lift cranks 39 and 56 are similarly arranged on said lift shaft 28 adjacent to the transfer members 42 and 43.

The lower end of the transfer member 41 is provided with a gripping device 51 which in this case is of resilient nature. An angle 52 is affixed to the lower end of the transfer member 41 and a screw 53 rigidly supports a block 54 thereon. A resilient finger 56 is loosely guided at one end by the lower end of the screw 53 projecting into an opening 57 therein sufficiently large that said screw will not engage the sides of said opening and is engaged by the lower end of a screw 58 which passes loosely through an opening 59 in the block 54. Spring means 61 urges the screw 58 upwardly. Thus, the finger 56 will be free to move downwardly against the spring 61 but said spring will urge said finger upwardly to grip resiliently anything positioned between said finger and the lower surface 62 of the transfer member 41.

Each of the transfer devices is aligned with one of the notches 1.8 by which the lower end of said transfer device will pass through the notch with which it is aligned when said lower end swings inwardly (leftwardly as appearing in FIGURE 3). Further the geometry and proportioning of the upper end of each of the transfer devices, and guiding and driving means associated therewith is such. that said transfer device, for example, the transfer device 41, will as it enters into the notch 13 of the platform 12 have its lower end 6-6 substantially aligned with, or slightly above, the upper surface of said platform 12, whereby to grasp between said lower surface 62 and the finger 56 the edge of a battery unit supported on said platform and extending across said notch 13.

Operation In considering the operation of the apparatus, attention will first be given for convenience in reference, to that portion of the machine not involving the present invention. Such will, however, be dealt with very briefly inasmuch as a full disclosure thereof may be obtained by reference to United States Patent No. 2,908,377.

With the transfer means 41, 42 and 43 in the position shown in FIGURE 1, the conveyor 1 is caused to move continuously and at a steady rate in a direction indicated by the arrow A. The feeding devices F F and F each operates to deliver successively appropriate panels onto respective platforms 12, 14 and 16. Said feeding devices are usually so related with respect to each other that the delivery of said panels onto said platforms occurs simultaneously.

The pitman 32 now operates to move the crank 31 in a direction which is counterclockwise as viewed in either FIGURES 1 or 3. This moves the pivot point 47 upwardly and leftwardly (FIGURE 3), which at the same time moves the pivot point 47 with respect to the pivot point 46, occuring because the pivot point 47 commences its counterclockwise movement from the higher angular position than doesthe pivot point 46, effects a clockwise movement of the transfer member 41 around the pivot point 46 and therefore leftward (FIGURE 3) movement of the lower end thereof. At the same time, because of the upward movement of the pivot point 46, the lower end of the transfer member 41 describes substantially a straight horizontal line rather than a downwardly extending arc. Thus, the lower end of the transfer member dipasses through the adjacent notch 18 in the wall 17 and above and across the conveyor 1 toward the platform 12.

The transfer member 41 is aligned with respect to the platform 12 so that the lower end of said transfer member enters into the slot 13 in said platform and causes a panel which may be on said platform to enter between and be gripped by the lower surface 62. and the finger 56'.

Return movement of the pitman 32 now causes the movement of the lift shaft 28 and all parts associated therewith in a reverse direction so that the panel is carried off the platform 12 by the transfer member 4 1 to a position above the conveyor 1. When said panel reaches the wall 17 its movement with the transfer member 41 is stopped and the transfer member 41 passes through the notch 18 in the wall 17 to pull itself away from the panel thereby releasing same to rest on the conveyor 1.

Thus, the only shock to which the panel is subjected is the slight fall from the position of the platform 12 to a position of the conveyor and this distance can be made very slight, providing only sufficient clearance to insure that the finger 56 will clear the upper surface of the con veyor or of panels previously placed thereon as hereinafter described. A further slight shock is experienced when the panel strikes the wall 17 but the speed of movement of the transfer members can be adjusted o that such shock as occurs here can be absorbed by the panel without darnage thereto. If desired, however, the inner surface of the wall 17 may be covered by a resilient material, such as sponge rubber, to further reduce the shock between said panel and said wall.

The apparatus is now returned to its beginning position and the cycle is ready to repeat.

Thus, it will be understood that panels will be delivered simultaneously from the feeding means at the stations 3, 4 and 5 and immediately thereafter said panels will be simultaneously transferred to positions on the conveyor 1. Where the machine is being used for making storage battery components, as will be true in the specific case from which this machine was designed, the feeder station 5 will be supplied with battery cell separators, the feeder station 4 will be supplied with a positive battery plate, and the feeder station 3 will be supplied with battery cell separators. Normally, in a typical machine, at least one other feeder station will be provided immediately adjacent the feeder station 3 which will be supplied with negative battery plates. Thus, in a typical operation, a separator will be placed on the conveyor 1 at the point opposite the feeder station 5 whereafter said separator will move with said conveyor to a location in front of the feeder station 4, the feeders will operate again and a positive battery plate will be placed on the separator. Continued movement of the conveyor brings the stacked plate and separator opposite the feeder station 3, said feeders act again and another separator is placed thereon. Subsequently, further plates and separators may be applied as desired to the stack so formed, as is well known in the battery making industry and as is further set forth in said Patent No. 2,908,377.

The transfer members are normally continuously driven; however, it is contemplated that intermittent means he used to drive said transfer members should it be desired that they pause, for example, at their idle positions shown in the drawings.

Although a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed above for illustrative purposes, it will be understood that variations or modifications thereof which lie within the scope of the appended claims are fully contemplated.

What is claimed is:

l. In a stacking machine having a continuously moving conveyor and a series of successive stations on said conveyor, and paced feeding means arranged alongside of said conveyor for successively discharging panels toward said conveyor, the improvement comprising in combination:

transfer means including a substantially vertically positioned, elongated body part and panel grasping means carried at the lower end of said body part for transferring said panels from said feeding means to said conveyor;

the upper end of said transfer body part having two vertically spaced pivot points thereon;

a guide arm having one end pivoted to the first of said pivot points and its other end pivotally supported on the frame of said machine;

a drive arm having one end pivotally connected to the second of said pivot points and its other end mounted for receiving an oscillatory driving movement and means applying such oscillatory driving movement thereto, said guide arm and said drive arm being normally positioned with respect to the desired direction of said transfer so that said first end of said guide arm is arranged for said pivotal movement in a direction substantially perpendicular to said direction of desired transfer and said drive arm being positioned so that movement of said second pivot point will have a substantial component in a direction parallel to said desired direction of said transfer;

whereby an arcuate driving movement of said drive arm will move said transfer body part both in a direction parallel to said desired direction of transfer and will simultaneously move it sufficiently per- L endicularly thereto to compensate for normal arcuate movement around said first pivot point and thereby elfect a substantially lineal movement of said transfer means across said conveyor.

2. The device defined in claim 1 including a platform defining a plane substantially parallel to the carrying surface of said conveyor and located between said conveyor and said feeding means, and means providing an abutment surface substantially parallel with the direction of travel of said conveyor and perpendicular with said carrying surface, said elongated transfer body part being supported at a point spaced above said conveyor whereby the lower end thereof is adapted for reciprocable travel from a point on the opposite side of said abutment surface from said feeding means past said abutment surface, across said conveyor to said platform and return;

whereby a panel supported at least partially on and by said platform may be grasped by said transfer means, carried across said conveyor, stripped from said transfer means by said abutment surface and deposited in a precisely predetermined position on said conveyor.

3. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said first pivot point is above said second pivot point.

i. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said first pivot point is above said second pivot point, said guide arm when at rest is in approximately a horizontal position and said drive arm when at rest is positioned with said one end thereof sufficiently above said other end thereof that upward pivotal movement of said drive arm will provide both vertical and horizontal components and both such components will be of appreciable magnitude.

5. The device defined in claim 2 wherein said carrying surface is horizontal.

6. A panel stacking machine, comprising:

a plurality of panel feeding units arranged in side-byside relation and upstanding Wall means at the front ends of said feeding units;

a conveyor movable across the front of said panel feedm units;

platforms arranged between feeding units and said conveyor for receiving panels fed by said feeding units and supporting them above the conveyor;

abutment means supported on the opposite side of said conveyor from said platforms and projecting upwardly above the conveyor to a level substantially as high as said platform, said abutment means having slot means therethrough;

transfer means associated with each feeding unit and mounting means pivotally mounting said transfer means on said upright wall means above said platforms for pivotal movement toward and away from said feeding units, said transfer means including a downwardly extending elongated body part having panel grasping means at the lower end thereof movable from a point on the opposite side of said abutment means from said conveyor through said slot means and over said conveyor to a location adjacent said platform for gripping a panel supported thereon and return so that a panel held by said gripping means engages said abutment means and is released from said gripping means and is deposited on said conveyor, said mounting means including means supporting said body part for substantially rectilinear movement across the conveyor and substantially parallel to the carrying surface of said conveyor.

{3 0 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 7/58 Great Britain.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Przmmy Examzner.

EDWARD A. SROKA, Examiner. 

1. IN A STACKING MACHINE HAVING A CONTINUOUSLY MOVING CONVEYOR AND A SERIES OF SUCCESSIVE STATIONS ON SAID CONVEYOR, AND SPACED FEEDING MEANS ARRANGED ALONGSIDE OF SAID CONVEYOR FOR SUCCESSIVELY DISCHARGING PANELS TO WARD SAID CONVEYOR, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: TRANSFER MEANS INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY POSITIONED, ELONGATED BODY PART AND PANEL GRASPING MEANS CARRIED AT THE LOWER END OF SAID BODY PART FOR TRANSFERRING SAID PANELS FROM SAID FEEDING MEANS TO SAID CONVEYOR; THE UPPER END OF SAID TRANSFER BODY PART HAVING TWO VERTICALLY SPACED PIVOT POINTS THEREON; A GUIDE ARM HAVING ONE END PIVOTED TO THE FIRST OF SAID PIVOT POINTS AND ITS OTHER END PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON THE FRAME OF SAID MACHINE; A DRIVE ARM HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE SECOND OF SAID PIVOT POINTS AND ITS OTHER END MOUNTED FOR RECEIVING AN OSCILLTORY DRIVING MOVEMENT AND MEANS APPLYING SUCH OSCILLATORY DRIVING MOVEMENT THERETO, SAID GUIDE ARM AND SAID DRIVE ARM BEING NORMALLY POSITIONED WITH RESPECT TO THE DESIRED DIRECTION OF SAID TRANSFER SO THAT SAID FIRST END OF SAID GUIDE ARM IS ARRANGED FOR SAID PIVOTAL MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID DIRECTION OF DESIRED TRANSFER AND SAID DRIVE ARM BEING POSITIONED SO THAT MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND PIVOT POINT WILL HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL COMPONENT IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO SAID DESIRED DIRECTION OF SAID TRANSFER; WHEREBY AN ARCUATE DRIVING MOVEMENT OF SAID DRIVE ARM WILL MOVE SAID TRANSFER BODY PART BOTH IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO SAID DESIRED DIRECTION OF TRANSFER AND WILL SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVE IT SUFFICIENTLY PERPENDICULARLY THERETO TO COMPENSATE FOR NORMAL ARCUATE MOVEMENT AROUND SAID FIRST PIVOT POINT AND THEREBY EFFECT A SUBSTANTIALLY LINEAL MOVEMENT OF SAID TRANSFER MEANS ACROSS SAID CONVEYOR. 